MARIA LOI: Today, we are going to Corfu-- Kerkyra in Greek.
I love this island.
It has such a unique personality.
It is rich in history, with many leaving their mark: Venetians, British, French, Russian, and Jewish culture-- all contributing to the rich tapestry of the Corfiot cuisine.
You will see.
Come with me.
It's all happening now on The Life of Loi.
♪ ♪ I am Maria Loi, executive chef of Loi Estiatorio in Manhattan.
When I was growing up in Thermo, a small village in Greece, food was a way of life.
Good for your body, good for your soul.
The Mediterranean diet is considered one of the healthiest in the world, and I have seen how it can truly change people's lives, like it changed mine.
And since then, my life has been all about the Mediterranean diet.
Today, we are going to share some of the delicious secrets that you can make part of your own lives at home.
So come with me right now on The Life of Loi.
♪ ♪ Funding for this program is provided by the Behrakis Family, the Greek National Tourism Organization, Enterprise Greece.
Additional funding is provided by: LOI: Yassou.
We are going to Corfu, Kerkyra in Greek.
I am going to be cooking with chef Aristotelis Megoulas, and we are making polyspori, a delicious multigrain soup, or a dish, as I say, at the iconic Pink Manor.
Páme!
♪ ♪ I first heard about the Manor House in Corfu from my friend and author Yvette Manessis Corporon.
It's also known as the Pink Manor.
Today, we are visiting this landmark location that's been visited by royals.
Jan Manessis.
That's a fascinating life.
A pretty lucky one.
LOI: And you're not Greek?
No, no, I'm English.
Well, I chose to be Greek.
(chuckles) LOI: That's big.
Mm.
LOI: So, could you please tell me just a few things about this beautiful property?
The house.
Well, it's come down through the same family who built it.
Venetian families, really, Greek Venetian.
LOI: Yes.
One of the old archontiko manor house, if you like.
It's a lovely place to be.
Had people visiting from all over the world.
It's had an interesting life.
My mother-in-law was a wonderful person, and she really looked after it.
LOI: And now you are here.
And now I'm here, yes.
Looking after it for the next lot.
(chuckles) LOI: But you just preserve the Greek culture.
Oh, yes.
I try to.
LOI: And I appreciate what you do.
We're so lucky today, because we're cooking with an acclaimed chef.
So, what are we going to do today?
This recipe, it's used to honor the new harvest.
LOI: Let's make it.
We begin with olive oil.
We have to be generous.
LOI: All of it?
Generous?
Oh!
It's the best.
Garlic.
Onion.
LOI: Onion.
We'll keep it whole, we just cut it in half.
And we'll do the same thing with carrot.
We'll keep them whole, to remove them.
LOI: Well, separate, yeah.
And we'll make a savory and a sweet version.
We have a celery stalk... (Loi inhales deeply) ...and celery leaves, eh?
LOI: Yeah.
And we'll put also some laurel, some bay leaves, which I collected fresh this morning.
Give just a few minutes for the aromas to develop.
LOI: For me, this is the base for anything we want to make.
It is a Mediterranean diet, it's the way of living, with all these beautiful ingredients.
Healthiness.
So polyspori, which means multigrain... LOI: Yeah.
...it's at least seven seeds, which was also a symbolism of luck.
LOI: What luck?
Number seven?
Number seven, yeah.
We begin with koukia.
LOI: Yeah.
Chickpeas.
Barbouni beans.
LOI: And it's so beautiful.
We proceed with the white borlotti beans, black-eyed beans, mavromatika.
LOI: Okay.
And in the end, we'll put sitari.
We just need now to blend the flavors to give the aroma from the laurel and the vegetables.
Now, the leaves of marjoram or oregano.
LOI: Oh, okay.
Here we go.
Because if you try it raw, you will see it's so peppery, and it's really the smell of the earth of Corfu.
And then, when we will dress the plate, we'll put some fresh leaves on top.
LOI: Okay.
So, I will add some water now.
We will give it some time just to parboil a bit.
LOI: Okay.
♪ ♪ Voilà.
(Loi inhales deeply) LOI: Oh, God.
(speaking Greek) The miracle has happened.
Magic.
♪ ♪ LOI: I can't wait to eat it.
As we said, we'll remove the aromatic part.
LOI: Okay.
Mm-hmm.
So, this is the savory version.
I have to put my own signature, so we'll put some fresh leaves on top.
So we're using the flowers.
You can use rosemary or what you has.
LOI: No, I like this.
This will give the peppery part.
LOI: So, you don't need the pepper.
Exactly.
So we're not finished.
LOI: Of course.
This is the final touch.
LOI: Olive oil makes life taste better and healthier.
So let's go for the sweet version.
And what we will do is that we will always put our polyspori in the plate.
LOI: And now?
And now, we'll dress it with pine nuts.
LOI: Pine nuts?
We'll put some dried grapes.
We'll add some almonds.
Do you see they are smaller?
This is the Greek variety of almonds, which are less productive, but very, very tasty.
LOI: Then?
Some walnuts.
LOI: Is that from here, as well?
Yes.
LOI: Ródi?
We'll put some... LOI: Pomegranate?
Pomegranate.
Which is always in season now.
LOI: I guess that you like honey?
Honey.
(Loi chuckles) And this is forest honey.
We'll add some cinnamon.
(Loi inhales deeply) LOI (whispers): I love cinnamon.
And here now just to exaggerate, we'll put some zest of clementine.
And this is the famous kumquat.
You have the outside part, which is sweet, and the flesh inside... LOI: Mm-hmm.
...that it's bitter and acid.
LOI: Yeah.
That's good.
So, you eat the whole fruit and it's an explosion in your mouth.
And if you want really to exaggerate... LOI: Yeah, tell me.
...we can use some sycomaida, which, a dried fig pie, on the side, as a garnishment.
LOI: Mm-hmm.
So, and this is the sugar that you want?
This is the raw sugar.
LOI: Okay.
Just sprinkle, not too much.
And that's it.
We have two beautiful plates, savory and sweet.
This is the right way to respect the ingredients, as Chef Aristotelis does.
♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ This soup is one of my favorites.
And not only mine, it's been for years and years, since the ancient Greeks.
And speaking of ancient Greeks... (laughs): ...here is my dear friend, and historian of the Mediterranean, Dr. Katherine Fleming.
An ancient Greek.
(Loi laughs) LOI (laughs): She is 4,000 years old.
(both laugh) But... But I eat a lot of sitarenia, so I look really good.
(Loi laughs) LOI: You do look Greek.
(laughs) LOI: Come on, you're a Greek goddess.
Okay.
(speaking Greek) (both laugh) So what are we going to do today, Maria?
LOI: I thought it will be fun for us to make sitarenia.
A sweet and savory grain salad.
LOI: So, let's do it.
Okay, I'm ready.
LOI: Can you do the dressing?
With pleasure.
First, we're going to have some salt.
LOI: Okay, not too much.
No, of course not.
Then we're going to have a little pepper.
LOI: (speaking Greek) If you would give me some olive oil.
LOI: Olive oil?
Huh!
Olive oil?
Come on, Katherine.
You're made of olive oil.
LOI (laughs): Of course.
So... And in the meantime, I will add some olive oil here.
Okay?
♪ ♪ Can I put some of this in here, too?
LOI: Yes.
What is it?
LOI: Do you know what's that?
It's balsamic vinegar.
Oh, well... LOI: Two-- two, it's enough.
And this here?
LOI: That is pomegranate molasses.
Okay, I knew pomegranate figured into this.
LOI: You like Corfu, no?
I love Corfu.
Corfu has been very good to me.
LOI: Look, fancy.
We're fancy.
Ooh.
(Loi chuckles) LOI: Katherine, let me show you.
Okay.
LOI: You go like this.
What's the difference between what I was doing... LOI: Because here, it goes all together.
Here... Okay.
LOI: Okay?
That's it.
(Loi laughs) You're good.
So, let me show you the salad.
We have so many goodies here, but the thing that I have to tell you about the wheat, you can boil the wheat.
It's only 45 minutes.
How long does it take?
LOI: Then, walnuts.
You like walnuts?
I love walnuts and they're so good for you.
LOI: Do you like pecans?
Yeah, I like pecans.
LOI: I love pecans.
Raspberries, you like?
I love raspberries.
My favorite thing in the world.
LOI: And if you don't have raspberries, you can put blueberries, you can do any other berries you like.
But... Pomegranate?
Number one.
Do you know what these are?
I'm going to guess that those are dried cherries.
LOI: (chuckles) Someone told her that.
(both laugh) This one, you can use it as breakfast, as well.
Right?
It looks amazing.
And it's really pretty, too.
I love all the colors.
LOI: Colors-- yeah, right?
So, all right, I then give you my secret.
Here we have scallions.
Mm-hmm.
LOI: Can you put those scallions in there?
Absolutely-- all of them?
LOI: Oh, yeah, I like it.
Wow, it's pretty good.
LOI: I love onions, I love scallions.
I love everything that is in that family.
You know, we're going to have a dressing, but not oily dressing.
Yeah, no, this is amazing.
LOI: Takes away all the sweetness from the fruit, you know, from the cherries.
But we're going to add some sweetness, from the apples.
You know, all of this, they add so many vitamins.
I had the apples cut in tiny pieces.
I had them in water with lemon.
So, let's serve this.
So let me give you this for a minute.
Okay.
♪ ♪ LOI: So, add some on the top here.
On the top, in the middle?
LOI: Yeah.
Everywhere.
Okay.
And now, more, so you can mix it nicer, okay.
So now, you add it over here.
Okay.
(yelps) LOI (laughs): That's good, it's okay.
That's good?
Okay?
You like it like that?
LOI: Yeah.
Like a line?
That looks pretty.
LOI: Mm-hmm.
Excellent.
Before we taste... ♪ ♪ (both laugh) Now... The most important part.
LOI: Yassou.
Cheers.
(Loi laughs) LOI: So, Katherine, taste that.
Mmm.
Incredible.
It is actually really incredible.
LOI (speaking Greek): Hmm?
(speaking Greek) (Loi laughs) Stop talking, I need to eat.
LOI (laughs): Okay.
(laughs) LOI: You know what?
(laughs): We're going back to Corfu.
I was lucky to be able to cook with chef Tasos Andriotis at the Angsana resort.
And I know you will love this.
We're going to be making another salad, full of color.
Páme!
♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ When you come to Corfu, you have the best things.
The chef asked me before why I wear a suit.
We have a special guest today.
The governor, not only from Corfu, all the Eptanisa-- all the Ionian Islands, one of the most beautiful places in the world.
So green, so nice.
And food?
(chuckles) You just have to come here and to taste it.
Páme.
Taso, what are we going to, to do today, because they are hungry?
Two classical recipes from Corfu.
The first is neratzosalata.
It's a very old recipes.
It's from, uh, Venetian.
LOI: It's, like, orange salad.
Yes, my version.
LOI (laughs): Bravo.
(both laugh) That's how you have to say, "My version."
He's an artist.
That's what he's doing now.
It's like painting.
Grapefruit.
LOI: You have grapefruit here?
Of course.
LOI: They have everything.
Everything.
It's very rich island, the Corfu.
LOI: Now, you have put strawberries?
Okay.
Yes, strawberry.
LOI: Mm-hmm.
LOI: How do you call strawberry?
(speaks Greek) (both laugh) Of course.
And now the most popular fruit in Corfu-- kumquat.
LOI: Kumquat is a bit bitter.
Yes, it's very bitter.
LOI: Right?
It's bitter and sweet together.
LOI: I love bittersweet fruits.
And now, fennel.
LOI: Fennel.
(speaks Greek) The root of the fennel.
It's a bit different here.
The bulb is smaller.
And now?
And now, I'll finish with the leaf of a fennel.
LOI: The green part.
(speaks Greek), radish.
LOI: And what else you have in there?
What are those red things?
They're cute.
It's only for a... LOI: A decoration?
...decoration.
And now... ♪ ♪ Chili peppers.
LOI: I love spicy.
So he can add as much as he wants.
Is it spicy?
Not very much.
LOI: When I will make a salad like this, I will add jalapenos.
(murmuring): Mm-hmm, I love jalapenos.
LOI: You like it?
Yes.
LOI: Good-- and with honey?
They're amazing.
Amazing.
LOI: Yeah.
So, now?
And we finish with the dressing.
LOI: Okay.
(murmurs): Olive oil, honey... LOI: Mm-hmm.
...and lemon.
Like frappé.
(both laugh) It's a Greek iced coffee.
LOI: Yes.
It's very beautiful.
Olive oil, of course.
Salt.
It's fleur de sel from Corfu.
(Loi laughs) Sorry.
LOI: Of course, it's from, from Corfu.
From where else?
And the last is fountoukia.
LOI: You can put pine nuts, you can put walnuts.
You can put whatever you want.
Why don't you add a bit more?
Because it needs the crunchiness.
Okay.
LOI: Bravo.
This is beautiful.
So, we're going to make now a different taramasalata from the one that you know.
But I need your help.
LOI (laughs): Okay.
He wants me to cook.
(laughs) LOI: Okay, tell me.
It's very easy.
LOI: Of course, okay.
It's fresh fish roe, eh?
LOI: Yeah.
It is fresh.
Yes.
LOI: It's very fresh.
Yes.
LOI: Okay.
That's enough?
Yes, yes.
LOI: Okay.
Perfect.
LOI: (speaking Greek) (chuckles) LOI: Don't be stingy.
The second is Corfiot olive oil.
LOI (laughs): Okay.
We can do with a mixer, but... It's more easy, but it's not very tasty.
And last... LOI: I'm a good mixer, right?
Yes, the best mixer, I think.
(both laugh) And the last ingredient is lemon.
LOI: Okay.
♪ ♪ Go ahead.
No stop, no stop, please.
LOI: I don't, I don't.
Okay.
Don't you think that we should add salt because it's not salty?
No, oh, no, it's very salty.
LOI: It is?
Yes.
LOI (laughs): I trick him.
(both laugh) A little bit olive oil.
It's fresh, natural, and... And very tasty.
LOI: It is so easy.
Look.
Look how it is.
Now, I'm the new mixer.
(both laugh) Look!
The powerful mixer.
(both laugh) LOI: Okay, it's yours.
And I serve.
♪ ♪ And now... LOI: Okay.
...you need only a good bread.
Nothing else.
LOI: No, you do.
Excuse me.
(chuckles) And some pepper.
That's all.
(speaking Greek): ♪ ♪ LOI (speaking Greek): (speaking Greek): LOI: Sorry, Paul, but you know I have to speak Greek here.
I'm sorry.
I understand.
LOI: You do, of course.
No, I don't understand what the governor says, but I do feel his warmth and I do feel the spirit.
(toasting in Greek) Yamas.
(speaking Greek) LOI (speaking Greek) I see, I see... (speaking Greek) ...that you're doing something special.
He's the king of kumquats.
(speaking Greek): LOI: I don't want to see it here.
I wanted to see him making the mandolato.
It will be my honor.
It's a good idea.
LOI: Okay?
So, Anna, organize this, please.
(snaps fingers): Done.
LOI: Okay.
(laughing) ♪ ♪ When I first met Konstantinos Lazaris, I knew only that he was doing mandolas and mandolato.
These are mandolas, right?
This mandolas, this caramelized almonds.
LOI: They are so colorful and they're so beautiful.
We make it with cacao, with, make it with rose, mint, and, of course, kumquat.
Mandola is brought here from the Venetians, because Corfu was part of Venice.
And at that time, we had a lot of influence from there.
We have special products in Corfu.
It's, the trademark of Corfu is the kumquat.
We make it a lot of products-- we make jam, we make chutney, we make liquors.
LOI: I eat, like, ten of this per day, at least.
I'm happy-- that's why I make it.
♪ ♪ LOI: I had great time there.
And that salad was amazing.
And I bet it tastes even better than it looks.
LOI (laughs): Everything tastes good over there in Corfu, in Kerkyra.
So, let's try to make a salad similar to that, okay?
Okay.
LOI: So, let me have some marouli.
Okay-- should I just break some off for you?
LOI: Mmm, break it.
The top, I like the color.
You like the dark color?
Okay.
LOI: Okay.
So give me some more.
All right, some more.
Thank you.
I'm going as quickly as I can.
LOI: That's it.
It's okay.
It's enough.
It's enough.
It's enough.
So, then... (sighs): I love this blood orange.
Look how it is.
I grew up, actually, like this.
We had a lot of blood orange in the area that I was born, near the Lake Trichonida.
Mmm.
LOI: When I was eating the blood orange, you know, it was, like... Running down your face?
LOI (laughs): Yes!
Did you look like a vampire?
LOI: I didn't want to say, but yes.
So...
Different colors now.
Here.
And it's very nice when you have a party.
It looks beautiful.
LOI: And you can have any citrus you want.
Over there, they have the kumquat, the special fruit, you know, that grows in Corfu.
What color is it?
LOI: Like this.
It's orange?
LOI: Yeah.
What's this, Maria?
LOI: Tell me what is this.
Oh, it's a gooseberry.
(both laugh) LOI: Who told you that?
(laughs): I don't know, maybe you did.
LOI: No, I didn't.
It's obvious.
LOI: No, it's not obvious.
It's what I always use when I don't have kumquat.
LOI: Okay, anyway.
All right, okay.
Some pepper, because we need more green.
And it's very easy to make this salad.
In your house, make it.
And they say, "Oh, it's a different kind of salad."
(inhales deeply) It smells so good.
The chef there, Tasos Andriotis, he is unique.
He's not only just a good chef, he's an artist.
An artist with a good heart.
So, how we call him?
Chef-artist with a good heart.
That's what Tasos Andriotis is.
Uh, let me get some pepper.
Like that.
Okay, not too much.
Do you want some salt?
LOI: Yes, but not too much.
We'll add, of course, some olive oil.
Okay?
Of course.
♪ ♪ LOI: And we'll put some protein.
Salmon.
Do you like salmon?
I love salmon.
LOI: Good.
I love salmon, and it's really good for you, too.
LOI: Mm-hmm.
Because?
Omega-3... Fatty acids.
LOI: Good.
Say it all together!
Omega-3 fatty acids.
LOI: Salmon!
Salmon!
(Loi laughs) Good and good for you.
(Loi laughs) Is that dill?
LOI: Yes, it's dill.
And see how colorful they are now?
Color, color, color.
That's it.
Beautiful.
LOI: Okay?
Can I have those glasses there, please?
♪ ♪ And remember, metron ariston.
Everything in moderation, except love, olive oil, and good deeds.
Yassou.
And yassou.
Yassou.
LOI: Cheers.
♪ ♪ Closed captioning provided by Genetic Networks.
Funding for this program is provided by the Behrakis Family, the Greek National Tourism Organization, Enterprise Greece.
Additional funding is provided by: ♪ ♪
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